5, 7. NEW YORK GIANTS (4-13)
LAST SEASON: A year that started with increased expectations after a surprising 2021 under new coach Joe Judge was marked by injuries on offense, then disappointment. It ended with a 4-13 record and the firings of general manager Dave Gettleman and Judge. New York again got off to a slow start, losing its first three and six of eight. Season-ending injuries to LG Shane Lemieux (knee) and C Nick Gates (broken leg) in the first two games crushed a suspect O-line. RB Saquon Barkley had few holes coming off ACL surgery and QB Daniel Jones had little time to produce anything. He played a week after a concussion against Dallas but missed the final six games with a neck injury. Adding to the woes, high-priced free agent Kenny Golladay didn’t score a TD and neither did exciting receiver but oft-injured first-round pick Kadarius Toney. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was fired on Nov. 22 after another dismal showing. The defense lost ILB Blake Martinez in Week 3 and S Jabrill Peppers in Week 7 to ACL injuries. Second-year S Xavier McKinney had a breakout year with five interceptions. Gettleman and Judge were replaced by former Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen and Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
FREE AGENCY/TRADES: Reworked contracts of Martinez, WR Sterling Shepard (Achilles tendon injury) and CB Adoree Jackson. Released S Logan Ryan, TE Kyle Rudolph, TE Kaden Smith, RB Devontae Booker and P Riley Dixon to create cap space. Signed OLs Mark Glowinski, Jon Feliciano, Matt Gono, Jamil Douglas and Max Garcia; QB Tyrod Taylor;, TE Ricky Seals-Jones; WRs Richie James and Robert Foster;, DT Justin Ellis; RB Matt Breida; and LB Jihad Ward. Lost TE Evan Engram, S Jabrill Peppers, DL Austin Johnson, G Will Hernandez, LB Lorenzo Carter and DB Keion Cross. Re-signed TE Korey Cunningham, LS Casey Kreiter, WRs David Sills and C.J. Board, and DB Jarren Williams.
THEY NEED: T, Edge, CB, S, TE, WR and maybe future QB.
THEY DON’T NEED: PK, ILB.
POSSIBLE FIRST PICK: Alabama T Evan Neal; North Carolina State T Ikem Ekwonu.
OUTLOOK: Schoen needs to fix a franchise that has had five straight losing seasons and been to the playoffs once (2016) since winning the Super Bowl in February 2012. Two picks in the first seven are going to help. One needs to be a bookend tackle to complement Andrew Thomas, the only productive lineman returning. New York has nine overall picks, with two in the third and fifth rounds and none in the seventh. It needs help at almost every position expect placekicker. The Giants’ immediate void after a tackle is an edge rusher. There has been talk Schoen might be willing to give up No. 7 overall, provided he gets another first-round choice and a first-rounder down the road. It’s a big ask.
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